William & Kate's Glaring Disconnect At 2026 BAFTAs Pours Gas On The Crown's Crisis

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — who lost his royal privileges because of his history with predator Jeffrey Epstein — was recently arrested for "suspected misconduct while in public office," according to CBS News. The case, which hinges on whether the disgraced royal supplied Epstein with sensitive trade secrets, is yet another notch of bad press for the monarchy. During an opportunity to generate some rare positive news for the royals, William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales, dressed up in formal wear for the 2026 BAFTAs. Unfortunately, their awkward energy has only intensified the negative spotlight cast over Britain's favorite family.

Prince William and Princess Kate of Wales arrive at the #EEBAFTAs.pic.twitter.com/sInoE1ymZj

— Pop Base (@PopBase) February 22, 2026

William and Kate were filmed as they arrived at the BAFTAs' red carpet. Although they seemed to engage in casual conversation as photographers snapped away, their movements seemed stiff and unnatural. Near the end of the clip, Middleton's strained smile seemed to drop just before she walked out of range.

Additionally, none of the photos of the couple at the award show featured them holding hands or engaging in any kind of light PDA. While the royals aren't necessarily known for the latter, skirting tradition would've been the perfect way for them to get the public to forget about Andrew and his legal problems (at least for a moment). Unfortunately, netizens are connecting their lackluster energy to Andrew's scandal.

Prince William and Kate Middleton have attended the BAFTAs, where William serves as the president, several times before. Usually, their participation attracts positivity, but it was a very different story this go around. In fact, social media even speculated that they only sought out the event to divert attention away from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. 

"Nothing makes people forget a massive family scandal quite like a perfectly recycled Gucci gown and a velvet blazer," one person wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "I'm crying the royal family ain't been out this much since queen Elizabeth died," wrote a second, while a third commented, "Their new crisis manager is really working. They look like tweedle Dee and tweedle dumb." Of course, there were more comments criticizing everything from their outfits to Middleton's hair (along with William's glaring lack of hair).

Love them or hate them, one couldn't really blame William and Kate for being off center. After all, if Andrew is found guilty for his purported crimes, or worse, found to have actually been involved in Epstein's misdeeds, they will have to bear the fallout.